In order to induce people to follow rules, sanctions are often introduced. In this paper we argue for the importance of
studying the positive influence of sanctioning systems on people’s moral convictions regarding the rule advocated by
the sanction and of studying factors that moderate this influence. In three experiments we tested the influence of sanction
severity and showed that severe sanctions evoke stronger moral judgments with regard to rule-breaking behavior and
stronger social disapproval towards rule-breakers than mild sanctions. This was particularly the case when trust in
authorities is high rather than low. Implications of these findings are discussed. Also, a framework is proposed to
understand the possible circumstances that determine whether sanctions either increase or decrease moral norms.